![Shin Hong-gi, head of Cuchen's manufacturing innovation division (right), and Korean Standards Association President Moon Dong-min (left) pose for a photo at the 2026 Korean Standards Quality Excellence Index certification ceremony held Wednesday at Signiel Seoul in Songpa-gu, Seoul. [Cuchen]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/11/02/news-p.v1.20261102.8aec05587aae4d0b98900f985c10def0_P1.jpg)
Top ratings in functional and sensory quality from consumers, experts
Titan Collection follows last year's '123 Rice Cooker'
Titanium inner pot boosts durability and ease of cleaning
Cuchen has topped the electric rice cooker category of the 2026 Korean Standards Quality Excellence Index for the sixth consecutive year, the company announced Monday.
The Korean Standards Quality Excellence Index is a quality evaluation metric jointly developed by the Korean Standards Association and the Korean Society for Quality Management. It measures consumer and industry expert satisfaction with products and services.
Cuchen received the highest rating in both the functional quality index — which assesses product performance, reliability, durability and usability — and the sensory quality index, which evaluates product image, recognizability and novelty.
The company has pursued cooking technology development since establishing its Rice Taste Research Institute in 2019. Last year it released the "123 Rice Cooker," featuring 2.2 ultra-high-pressure technology, and in September this year it unveiled the Titan Collection, which uses a titanium inner pot.
The Titan Collection features an inner pot made from ASTM F67 Grade 1 titanium. Cuchen says the pot passed a salt spray test of up to 192 hours, and a transparent protective layer applied to the interior improves ease of cleaning.
The product also incorporates "Micro Grid Texturing," a patented technology that induces microbubbles and convection during cooking. In Cuchen's own testing, the average hardness of cooked rice grains using the "Tangl Baekmi" menu was 24 percent higher than that of the "Chalchin Baekmi" setting.
Depending on the model, the cooker offers 2.2 ultra-high-pressure, 2.1-atmosphere and 1.0 no-pressure cooking modes, and includes a low-sugar cooking system.
"Winning first place for six consecutive years is the result of our efforts to strengthen quality competitiveness through advances in materials and cooking technology," a Cuchen official said. "We will continue to improve product performance and ease of use going forward."
hong@heraldcorp.com
